this tire is bizarre, no wonder it is heavily discounted,you compare it to a high volume UST tire that you can air down to improve grip and compliance, this tire is lacking.at 188 lbs I run this tire at minimium pressure of 30 psi back and it richochets off the smallest trail irregularity like a solid rubber tire.it hard on the body taking every hit on a hardtail,the big advantage to me about UST is a compliant ride which is impossibe due to this tires low volume.I will go back to Hutchinson python.

A good value-for-money tyre to handle most conditions in the damp sub-tropical climate of Pietermaritzburg. No obvious failings and wear has been reasonably slow thus far. Tire is narrower than expected but doesn't seem to compromise its reliability and performance.

Strengths: Great all around tire, works well in all conditions, very durable and wears well.

Weaknesses: None for me.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best mount and forget it tires I've ever used. It really works well in ALL conditions and it is a tough tire. I have ridden/raced it in every condition/terrain in the SE US and it works great rain or shine. I have even run it some crazy urban riding and it holds up to stair riding up & down, wall drops etc... You do need to run stans in it to keep from flatting, but that is the case with all tubeless set ups. Play with you air pressure a bit and don't be afraid to run'm a little low when running tubeless. I have been through a couple of pairs of these and have not had mounting or sealing issues at all. I have run them on Mavic crossmax wheels, Mavic 819 rims, Bontrager wheels, and the stans rim and all work great.

Similar Products Used: Have tried others such as IRC and Panaracer, and rode them since I bought my bike, no doubt they're still much more reliable than Kenda.

Bike Setup: GT i-Drive & Versus Blitz

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
Aaron
a Weekend Warrior
from Rainier, OR

Date Reviewed: October 31, 2005

Strengths: Honestly....none, except maybe that they roll pretty fast.

Weaknesses: Very small (2.1 tire should be a 2.1, not a 1.9!), front tire has NO traction in any condition other than on pavement. Difficult to mount on Mavic UST wheels, requires lots of sealent to hold air.

Bottom Line:

I've used this tire in mud, loose, loose over hardpack, hardpack, and medium conditions and they don't work worth a crap in any of those conditions! The rear tire has decent climbing traction but thats it. The front tire might just be the worst tire ever made as far as traction. I mean it just doesn't bite at all, I've had WAY to many washouts with it. Also, these tires are so low volume, that running the low pressure that is the advantage of tubeless can cause damage to your rims. They need some volume (The other three UST tires listed above all have great volume) to be a UST tire. I'm tired of tire manufacturers list their tires the wrong size as well. Tires aren't cheap and once their mounted you can't take them back. When I buy a tire listed as a 2.1, that is what I want, not a 1.9 (otherwise, I would have bought a 1.9!). Someone needs to come up with a standard and stick to it (The WTB system is not bad, except they are guilty of undersizing their tires as well). UST tires also should be way easier to mount, without having to use tools. These tires required some serious thumb stregnth. Bottom line, these tires are turds, pure and simple.

Weaknesses: Spose to be 2.1", but according to a test by Mountainbike Israel it is only 1.97". Put it on my Crossmax weels with sealant but it went loose at one of the first rides. Traction - very bad.

Bottom Line:

Very bad value for the mony. I replaced them after 50 miles and called the representative in Israel and told him that I t is not 2.1". He told me that this is the way Kenda measures the tires. I asked him to replace the tires with wider ones, he took my name and telephone and promised to call me after the exhibition on the first week of September. I never heared from him.There is a very litle chance that I'll buy a Kenda product again.

slips on the tarmac when wet, hopless on the trail except when really dry. Too narrow and instils zero confidence. I won't be buying any more Kenda Tires. I had 4 falls due to a comination of tire grip ( as well as some dodgy lines! ) in one ride. I will wear them out on my tarmac rides only when dry!

Weaknesses: Consistently would not keep a line when riding down hill or up hill in minor to moderate sandy terrain. Instils ZERO confindence when descending. Almost crashed going up hill on very steep sections of the ride, back tire kept spinning out, and getting sideways, hence, forcing me to clip out. I was in the saddle at all times, with my weight fully on the back tire. I have Weirwolves on my other bike, and never had any kind of problems going up or down.

Bottom Line:

Tomorrow, as soon as my LBS opens, where I purchased the bike, I am ordering some UST Weirwolves for front and rear. The Kenda's basically really suck. The friend I ride with couldn't believe how timid I was riding on descents, I usually bomb down, but that is my other bike with other tires, and that bike only has 3" of travel and is a 9 year old DBR carbon. Seems like trying not to wash out, both front and rear tires, was my main concern while riding. Trying not to wipe out going up steep hills was an entirely new experience. One that I never want to repeat.

Strengths: ...they ride firly nice when going in a straight line on pavement, otherwise I can't say

Weaknesses: ...maybe its me but the rear punctured easily and the front was unstable; had a terrible wobble

Bottom Line:

Okay, I have 1200 km on the matched pair of these tires. In my three months of riding on gravel roads and pavement I don't have many positive things to say about this combo.

Front tire, mine has an instability that causes the front to wobble at speeds above 24 kph. The instability is so bad that if hands are left off the handlebars they will wobble violently. A question to Kenda USA via email provided a prompt reply and an offer to replace at no charge. Have not done this yet. Non-plused about the front tire for this reason and won't get another one. (props to Kenda on the warranty)

Rear tire, 5 punctures and terrible grip on loose or wet conditions has left me unsatisfied. The punctures have come in the form of the smallest glass slivers, nails and some other unidentified sources. For some reason the rear has picked up all sorts of garbage that the front has not. I had no luck with Stan's Notube sealant with this tire and cleaning the inside of the tires and installing patches has left me with a tire that still leaks more than 10 pounds of air pressure in a day.

The grip of the rear tire is also terrible on gravel roads. It is so bad that I consciously prepare myself for a washed out rear tire whenever I have to take a corner on loose stuff. Whenever I hit wet pavement the rear will slide out if it is leaned even the slightest degree. That being said I should restate that I am runing both tires at 50 psi all the time. A few times I rode around on them at 30 psi and used my imagination a bit; they would probably work well on trails at lower pressures.

...going to retry stan's in the rear tire and replace the front for something different.

Weaknesses: Not durable at all. The tire tears easily and the rear tire (not the rim) warped after about a month of use.

Bottom Line:

This tire started falling apart within weeks of being purchased. The sidewall develped several tears and gashes. I have never seen a tire warp on the rim - this tire did. A bulge started to appear on the tire and it started to warp. The rim was fine but the tire just developed a curve and bulge. Very poor traction, the tire is really narrow for a 2.1. Don't buy it.........

Weaknesses: HORRIBLE in anything wet. Slick roots become impossibly slick roots. Also, 2.1 sizing is more like 1.9. These are smaller than my python 2.0's.

Bottom Line:

no problems mounting or holding air (zero loss over two weeks). These aren't bad on the hard packed forest terrains. They are a little unpredictable on rocky (loose fist to baby-head sized) descents, but still not horrible. BUT wet, muddy, or even moist conditions are downright dangerous.

Two flats in 6 days of riding at Park City. These tires do not do well below 40 psi. A real challenge to remove on the trail. Good stability at speed in most conditions. Average in loose gravel or loam. Good wear.

Difficult, sometimes frustrating in wet conditions and on wet roots and rocks.

This tire is best in dry conditions. I would not change them if I lived in Park City, Utah year around. They are not acceptable in the wet, slippery conditions in New England where I live. I am changing them for a set of WTB Weirwolfs for the Winter and Spring and will report later.

Weaknesses: Wears out too quickly. A nightmare in the sand. no traction

Bottom Line:

For me these are the worst Ust tires i have tried out so far. They have a very narrow sweet spot tire pressure wise, have no traction, have no directional stability in the sand, the rear tire wore out in 3 weeks of riding. They are soft and sticky so i think they would be good on slick rock and none of the knobbies broke off like they do on the Firepros.